This invention relates to drives for clothes washing machines of the type having a cabinet in which an agitator is mounted on a vertical axis and is oscillated back and forth within a perforated spin tub which in turn is mounted within a water tight container, the spin tub and the agitator rotating continuously in one direction to give a spin action, said cabinet containing an electric motor and driving means for the agitator and spin tub and/or clothes washing machines incorporating such drives.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a drive for a clothes washing machine of the type described and/or a clothes washing machine incorporating such a drive which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.
Accordingly, in one aspect the invention consists in a drive for a clothes washing machine of the type having a cabinet in which an agitator is mounted on a vertical shaft so as to rotate therewith and is oscillated back and forth within a coaxially mounted perforated spin tub, the spin tub and the agitator rotating continuously in one direction to give a spin action, and the perforated spin tub and agitator in turn being mounted within a water tight container, said cabinet containing an electric motor and driving means to oscillate said agitator back and forth or rotate said spin tub continuously in one direction, and is characterised in that at least one part of said spin tub and one part rotatable with said agitator are axially movable relative to each other; in that each said one part has a part of an interconnecting means associated therewith; and in that interconnection actuating means are provided operable in a washing sequence to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means by relative axial movement of said at least one part rotatable with said agitator and said at least one part of said spin tub to connect said agitator to said spin tub when spin action is required and to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means to separate by opposite relative axial movement to permit said agitation of said agitator without material relative movement of said spin tub during a washing phase in said sequence.
In a further aspect the invention consists in a drive system comprising an electric motor having a stator carrying energizable windings on poles thereof, a shaft carrying said rotor and being rotatable in frames forming part of said electric motor, said frames also mounting said stator of said motor, a clothes washing agitator, a perforated spin tub in a washing container in turn mounted in a cabinet, with said motor, said clothes washing agitator and said spin tub being mounted co-axially on said shaft and rotatable thereon in a mode selected from an agitating mode in which said rotor, said shaft and agitator are oscillated backwards and forwards over an arc of movement and said spinning tub remains substantially stationary and a spinning mode in which said rotor, said spin tub and said agitator are rotated continuously in one direction. At least one part of said spin tub and one part rotatable with the agitator are axially movable relative to each other, each said one part having a part of an interconnecting means associated therewith, and interconnecting actuating means are provided operable in a washing sequence to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means by relative axial movement of said at least one part of said agitator and said at least one part of said spin tub to connect said agitator to said parts of said interconnecting means to separate by opposite relative axial movement to permit said agitation of said agitator without material relative movement of said spin tub during a washing phase in said sequence.
In a still further aspect the invention consists in a drive for a clothes washing machine of the type having a cabinet in which an agitator is mounted on a vertical shaft so as to rotate therewith and is oscillated back and forth within a perforated spin tub, the spin tub and the agitator rotating continuously in one direction to give a spin action and the perforated spin tub and agitator in turn being mounted within a water tight container, said cabinet containing an electric motor and driving means to oscillate said agitator back and forth or rotate said spin tub continuously in one direction, characterized in that said drive includes interconnecting means provided between said driving means and said spin tub, said interconnecting means including actuating means actuable by the presence or absence of a substantially predetermined quantity of water in said container so that when at least said predetermined amount of water is present in said container said interconnecting means are disconnected between said driving means and said perforated spin tub, and when water is substantially absent from said container said interconnecting means connect said driving means to said perforated spin tub so that said perforated tub will rotate with said driving means.
In a still further aspect the invention consists in a drive system for a clothes washing machine of the type having a cabinet in which an agitator is mounted on a vertical shaft so as to rotate therewith and is oscillated back and forth by an electric motor within a coaxially mounted perforated spin tub, the spin tub and the agitator being rotated continuously in one direction by said electric motor to give a spin action, and the perforated spin tub and agitator in turn being mounted within a water tight container, said cabinet containing an electric motor, said drive selectively oscillating said agitator back and forth and rotating said spin tub and agitator continuously in one direction, said drive including at least one part of said spin tub and one part rotatable with said agitator which are axially movable relative to each other, each said one part having a part of an interconnecting means associated therewith; and interconnection actuating means are provided operable in a washing sequence to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means by relative axial movement of said at least one part rotatable with said agitator and said at least one part of said spin tub to connect said agitator to said spin tub when spin action is required and to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means to separate by opposite relative axial movement to permit said agitation of said agitator without material relative movement of said spin tub during a washing phase in said sequence.
In a still further aspect the invention consists in an electric motor comprising a stator carrying energizable windings on poles thereof, a rotor, a motor frame, said frame having bearing mountings in a central disposition and having coacting locating means near outer edges thereof arranged to hold said frame with said bearing mountings separated and axially aligned, said frame having stator locating means arranged to hold the outer cylindrical surface of a stator concentric with said bearing mounting of said frame, a pair of bearings mounted in said bearing mountings, a shaft rotatably mounted in said bearings and carrying said rotor, said rotor comprising a backing ring of a magnetic material, a series of permanent magnets spaced apart on an inner surface of said backing ring and rotatable exteriorly of said stator windings, a hub mounted on said shaft, and a backing ring support holding inner faces of said permanent magnets concentric with said shaft.
In a still further aspect the invention consist in a clothes washing machine comprising a cabinet, a container for wash water suspended in said cabinet, an electric motor mounted below said container, an agitator within said container, a drive shaft between said electric motor and said agitator so that said electric motor directly drives said agitator, a spin tub within said container and within which said agitator is mounted, said spin tub being rotatably mounted on said drive shaft, sealing means between said drive shaft and said container and interconnecting means having two positions in one of which positions said interconnecting means connects said spin tub to said agitator so as to rotate therewith and in which other position said spin tub is disconnected from said agitator, an electric supply means arranged to drive said agitator in a forward and reverse motion to give agitation to clothes placed within said spin tub in one mode of operation when said spin tub is disconnected from said agitator, and arranged to rotate said spin tub and said agitator continuously in one direction when the spin tub and the agitator are interconnected by said interconnecting means.
In a still further aspect the invention consists in a clothes washing machine comprising a cabinet, a container for water suspended in said cabinet, an electric motor mounted below said container, an agitator within said container, a drive shaft between said electric motor and said agitator so that said electric motor directly drives said agitator, a spin tub within said container and within which said agitator is mounted, said spin tub being rotatably mounted on said drive shaft, sealing means between said drive shaft and said container, and interconnecting means having two positions, in one of which positions said connecting means connects said spin tub to said agitator so as to rotate therewith and in which other position said spin tub is disconnected from said agitator, said electric motor being arranged to drive said agitator in a forward and reverse motion to give agitation to clothes placed within said spin tub in one mode of operation when said spin tub is disconnected from said agitator, and arranged to rotate said spin tub and said agitator continuously in one direction when the spin tub and the agitator are interconnected by said interconnecting means, at least one part of said spin tub and one part rotatable wit h said agitator being axially moveable relative to each other, each said one part having a part of said interconnecting means associated therewith, and interconnection actuating means are provided operable in a washing sequence to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means by relative axial movement of said at least one part rotatable with said agitator and said at least one part of said spin tub to connect said agitator to said spin tub when spin action is required and to actuate said parts of said interconnecting means to separate by opposite relative axial movement to permit said agitation of said agitator without material relative movement of said spin tub during a washing phase in said sequence.
To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.
The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples.